Chapter 54: Cost-Effective Life Magic and the Applications of an Alchemist

What a pity!

The tiered magic system only extended up to the tenth tier, and beyond level 70 lay the domain of super-tier magic. No matter how high a spellcaster's level, it had no direct correlation to the use of super-tier spells.

Snapping back to reality, Lyle glanced at [Papermaking] but refrained from spending more skill points to upgrade it.

Until he fully understood the properties of the alchemically enhanced paper it produced, he decided against further investing in it.

Looking at the MP cost for fourth-tier spells, Lyle couldn't help but feel a little helpless. A faint headache crept over him.

With his current mana reserves, he simply couldn't cast any fourth-tier spells.

Originally, Lyle had planned to focus primarily on a warrior class, supplementing it with magic. While his current situation hadn't completely disrupted his plans, it did give him new considerations.

"No matter what, obtaining a 'special class' takes top priority. Everything else can wait."

He muttered to himself, organizing the information displayed on his [Status Window] once again.

That was when he noticed a key difference between life magic, which could be upgraded, and true tiered magic.

Take [Heating], a life spell he had raised to the fourth tier, as an example—he could freely adjust its mana consumption and cast it at a lower tier if needed. True tiered spells, however, clearly lacked such flexibility.

"Judging by its characteristics, life magic seems to have a very high cost-performance ratio," Lyle mused.

His gaze shifted to his experience bar:

[EXP: 5893/9500]

He was still 4000 EXP short of advancing [Genius] to level 10.

Lyle wasn't particularly anxious. He had planned to take a full day to rest and adjust his mindset.

Initially, he had estimated that raising his overall level to 20 would take about two months, so he had prepared roughly a month's worth of food.

The plan had been simple: once his supplies ran low, he would return to Carne Village to restock before heading back to Forest of Tob.

However, with hobgoblin leading the way, his progress had accelerated far beyond his expectations.

Today's rest day was the perfect time to analyze his recent level gains and shift his focus to another pressing matter.

Alchemy and Pharmacology!

These two crafting-based skills improved as his level increased.

When [Genius] was only at level 1, both skills had been practically useless due to their low level.

But now that his level had risen significantly, they were finally showing their true potential.

Lyle retrieved a plant from his inventory. It was a deep green herb with a small wooden-yellow flower, about the size of a thumb. To an untrained eye, it looked no different from an ordinary weed.

This was [Hotleaf], an herb known for its anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties.

Lyle was no expert in herbalism.

Although he had studied under Nfirea for a while, his understanding was still rudimentary—he wouldn't have been able to distinguish medicinal plants from common weeds in the wild.

It was only thanks to the hobgoblin Mukua that he had learned about this herb's effects.

Forest of Tob was rich in natural resources. Many plants considered rare and valuable in human society were far more common deep within the forest.

While humans rarely dared to venture into its depths, it was nothing special for the goblins who lived there.

Lyle activated [Pharmacology], and immediately, the Hotleaf in his hand was enveloped in a soft green glow.

Within seconds, the entire herb transformed into a small pile of wooden-yellow powder, resting in his palm.

Slash!

With a swift motion, he dragged his iron sword across the back of his hand, opening a four-to-five-centimeter wound. Blood trickled down, but he barely flinched.

Without hesitation, he sprinkled the entire handful of Hotleaf Powder onto the wound.

A cooling sensation spread across his skin, and within a few breaths, the bleeding stopped entirely.

"Using the [Pharmacology] skill doesn't just grind the herbs into powder—it also seems to enhance their effectiveness."

Lyle studied his healing wound, deep in thought.

The goblins in Mukuo's tribe didn't have an alchemist among them.

Their method of using Hotleaf was far more primitive—they would crush or chew the herb before applying it directly to wounds. Naturally, the effect was far weaker than that of the processed powder.

Recalling the way Nfirea had prepared alchemical solutions, Lyle picked up another Hotleaf and turned it into powder once more.

This time, he grabbed a water pouch, poured the powdered herb inside, and activated [Alchemy].

In moments, the clear water took on a faint green tint.

Lyle slashed his hand again, creating a second wound, then poured the alchemical solution onto it.

However…

The expected superior healing effect never came.

In fact, it was noticeably weaker than using the powdered herb directly.

His brows furrowed.

"By all logic, an alchemic healing solution should be more effective than raw herb powder."

At least, that was what Nfirea had demonstrated before.

Was his [Alchemy] skill simply too low?

No.

Lyle shook his head.

He wasn't entirely sure of Nfirea's current Alchemist and Pharmacist levels, but he was certain that his own levels far surpassed them.

After all, as a [Player], leveling up was completely different from how the native inhabitants of this world progressed.

For players, as long as they had enough EXP, they could instantly max out any class.

But for locals, advancement required real-world practice and deep comprehension.

In theory, it would take a native an unimaginable amount of time and effort to master a profession.

It was no different from real-world scholars—no matter how talented someone was, they couldn't fully master an entire technical field in just a short time.

The only way a native could advance rapidly was if they possessed an extraordinary natural talent.

Without the time investment and the player advantage, a native reaching max level in any profession in a short period was highly unrealistic.

Even four years later, when Nfirea would invent the legendary "Blood of the God" potion, his Alchemist and Pharmacist levels were still only Lv.4.

Of course, his innate [Genius] talent allowed him to perform well beyond his level.

In reality, the Slane Theocracy had already developed the "Blood of the God" long before Nfirea, but their version required far rarer and costlier ingredients, making it unsuitable for widespread use.

Looking at the partially diluted alchemical solution in his pouch, Lyle reconsidered.

If the issue wasn't his level, then could it be a problem of dosage?

With his mana reserves low, Lyle had no choice but to wait for his MP to recover before continuing his experiments.